Road Safety: Motion
Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-17
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Mark Duffy (FG), Labour Panel

I move:
That Seanad Éireann:
notes that:
- there had been a downward trend in fatalities on Irish roads since the introduction of the first Road Safety Strategy in 1997;
- 2021 saw the lowest numbers killed on our roads since records began in 1959;
- three of the last four years have seen an annual increase in road-related fatalities and serious injuries;
- according to Road Safety Authority statistics, there were 185 fatalities in 2025 of which 76 were drivers (41 per cent), 41 were pedestrians (22 per cent), 30 were motorcyclists (16 per cent), 21 were passengers (11 per cent), 14 were pedal cyclists (8 per cent) and 3 were e-scooter users (2 per cent);
- behind each fatality lies heartbroken families, friends and loved ones;
- for every fatality, there are eight serious and possibly life-changing injuries, causing pain and hardship;
- the four main causes of fatalities are speeding, distraction, not wearing a seatbelt, and intoxicated driving;
- the aim of our Road Safety Strategy is to reduce speeds to safe, appropriate levels for the roads being used and the people using them;
- cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists are even more vulnerable to fatalities and injury, and at even lower speeds;
- research from 2022 indicates that approximately one in four motorists are not only checking their phone, but also writing text messages while driving;
- the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland reveals that e-scooter accidents are now the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries in children admitted to the paediatric neurosurgical centre at Children’s Health Ireland, Temple Street;
acknowledges that:
- the Department of Transport has directed local authorities to commence a review of their urban road networks with a view to increasing the number of 30km per hour zones; where this lower speed limit is appropriate and in accordance with the statutory guidelines issued by the Department, changes will be made at the discretion of local authorities;
- the Government introduced the Road Traffic Act 2024, addressing a number of key areas of road safety concerns, including in response to the concerns about increases in cases of drug-driving, the Act introduced mandatory drug testing at the scene of serious collisions on the same basis as would happen with alcohol;
- the introduction of S.I. No. 199 of 2024, Road Traffic (Electric Scooters) Regulations 2024, which prescribe, amongst many requirements and prohibitions, that the minimum age to drive an e-scooter on a public road is 16 years of age and the maximum speed limit is 20km per hour, unless lower limits apply;
- the Government's current Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 follows international best practice and aligns with EU targets and the Vision Zero ambition for 2050, which is to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries by 2050 while increasing safe, healthy and equitable mobility for all;
- as an interim target, countries across the EU are aiming to halve road deaths and serious injuries this decade;
- there has been investment by Government and local authorities to improve safety on our roads, including Safe Routes to School, Community Involvement Scheme funding, low cost safety measures, traffic calming, pedestrian crossings, cycle lanes and the upgrading of substandard roads;
calls on the Government to:
- expedite the introduction of Grace’s Law on banning scramblers in public places;
- expedite new regulations for e-scooters;
- allow the public to upload dashcam footage of dangerous driving to a new Garda portal, making it easier to report incidents;
- introduce new road safety cameras to automatically detect mobile phone use and non-wearing of seat belts;
- continue to invest in road safety initiatives;
- continue to enforce existing road safety legislation;
- continue to invest in our road network, road improvement, traffic calming and safety initiatives;
- continue to invest in active travel schemes and safe cycling / pedestrian infrastructure;
- continue to invest in alternatives to car use including local link and public transport;
- examine mandatory awareness classes in secondary schools on the consequences of speeding and dangerous driving causing road fatalities, involving the Road Safety Authority, local authorities, Gardaí, fire brigade and the National Ambulance Service;
- look at driving lessons being promoted during transition year;
- examine the driving test to see that it is fit for purpose;
- continue to deter the use of mobile phones whilst driving, including by those driving tractors, and examine the possible introduction of phone blocking technologies in tractors;
- look at introducing a safe driving certificate for first time tractor drivers;
- amend the Road Safety Acts to provide for mandatory prison sentences for drivers who drive while disqualified; and
- examine the rollout of fixed speed cameras, particularly when entering built up areas.

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Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted.

Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-17/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:38+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-17